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As seen in September, 2014 ESSE Magazine

Maryland State Arts Council Awards

Awards totaling $249,000 recognize artists’ contributions to the creative vitality of the state.

March 26, 2014 Press Release:

The Maryland State Arts Council (MSAC), an agency of the Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development, has awarded grants to 89 Maryland artists for creating work of exceptional quality within a range of disciplines. The group of outstanding choreographers, composers, dancers, musicians, poets and sculptors was selected from nearly 400 applicants and received Individual Artists Awards ranging from $1,000 to $6,000 to advance their artistic careers.

“Artists and art making in Maryland fuel our creative economy and expand opportunities for cultural engagement across the state,” said Dominick Murray, Secretary, Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development. “The diversity of work by exceptional individual artists is essential to the arts industry, which generates a billion dollars a year in Maryland.”

The MSAC’s competitive Individual Artists Award (IAA) recognizes the value of artists and their work to the cultural vitality of Maryland. In determining the awards, an out-of-state jury reviews submissions and, having no other information about the artist, recommends grant awards on the basis of artistic merit alone.

Artists report applying IAA grant funds to buy materials, invest in technology, travel to or participate in arts and film festivals and spend more time creating art.

“With the grant money, I traveled to the Stuttgart International Festival of Animation to present my short animation, “The Living Things,” an official festival selection,” said Baltimore-based filmmaker and digital artist Phil Davis, who received a 2013 IAA of $3,000. “I presented my work to an international audience, participated in Q&A sessions after screenings, viewed a wide range of inspiring international animation and networked with fellow animators, producers and curators.”

IAA recipients also say that the award is not only an honor, but an expression of support and encouragement. “I wanted every cent of the IAA money to go back into my craft,” said 2013 IAA recipient Kelly Renee Armstrong, a Columbia-based storyteller and performer. “The MSAC grant was the seed money for a new outlook on how I fund my dream. I’ve used the money for workshops, fringe show application fees and headshot mailings. It wasn’t long before the money was spent, but the idea and mindset it fueled is here to stay.”